Trials of a Pure
by Forty Two42
Summary: Pures are usually used as bounty hunting tools, but what happens when a pure finds out that it has a deeper purpose? An event of epic proportions is about to occur for one such pure, but how will he handle it? R & R please.
1. Chapter 1

Revised! (Edit 1)

* * *

Trials of a Pure

_Chapter 1: Things Heat Up_

In the shadows of what appeared to be a sewer, four candles were set up in a square. A man sat almost unseen in the center of the square meditating with a large, light gray-colored sword in front of him. Another man dressed in dark black robes and a black pointed hat sat on an anvil a short distance behind the first. HIs staff was giving off a glow that only revealed the blue pendent he wore around his neck. next to him was a pile of dark gray armor and a sword just as large as the lighter-colored one. The moans of the undead could be heard not far from where the two sat. Suddenly, the candles gave off a glow that briefly revealed the meditating man's face. He appeared to be muttering a silent incantation. He tensed and the candles' glow seemed to reach out and melt into the sword in front of him. as the last of the glow transferred to the sword, the candles went out, and the man who was silently muttering stood, grasping the hilt of the sword, turned to face the other man and said in a deep voice, "He'll be there soon, Shorudaretsu. You should be going."

Shorudaretsu stood in turn and packed the sword given to him and every other armament beside him into a large leather bag. "Are you sure he'll be ready for that kind of power, sir? I'm a bit worried," he said in a less than emotional tone as he strapped the bag to his back.

The man, whose face was illuminated only to the nose, grinned and replied, "you worry too much, Shorudaretsu. Don't worry about him. When he's done training with that iron sword, he'll be ready. I only put a minimal amount of my power into it, after all. He'll be fine." As he put away the candles, he added, "and the funds?" Shorudaretsu showed the man a small pouch and opened it to reveal a few thousand pieces of gold, which in spite of the lack of light managed to sparkle as if in the afternoon sun. The man's grin grew as he replied, "good, now go meet him."

Shorudaretsu pulled out a wooden stick with a tip made of chalk and drew a circle around himself. As he sat down in the circle, he said, "don't forget, sir. You're a wanted man for what you did. Be careful of anyone trying to get in."

The circle began to glow upwards from the ground, revealing the other man's amulet in the shape of a Yin-Yang and his blue plated armor. As Shorudaretsu disappeared, he thought to himself, "Sure, I may be wanted for this amulet, but it was worth it. No one can even reach me here anyway, thanks to my undead minions. Soon, with this new outside help, I'll be able to roam the world freely, as I did before." The amulet turned clockwise once as the light disappeared, taking Shorudaretsu with it. In the almost complete darkness, the other man bent backward and let out a loud sinister laugh that echoed through the sewer as far as it could until it was drowned out by the moans in the distance.

Shortly afterward, in a crowded castle courtyard, a younger man with snow white hair emerged from a portal above him. His the armor on his wrists and shoulders reflected the noon sun's brilliance. His half-and-half black and grey shirt had a neat triangle cut out at the bottom in the front. His blue pants hung down over his ankles until his flat feet emerged from them. He looked around and climbed a short hill. Once at the top, he leaned against the cold stone wall of the castle, listened to the loud chatter below him of others asking for handouts from more experienced warriors, and thought, "OK, I finally graduated the Island Academy. Now what? They said there would be a man waiting for me when I got here." He looked around, not knowing what he was looking for, looked down at the grass between his legs and continued, "but that's all they said. A description would've been nice. And why do I have this ridiculous name? 852145632589... Do they think of me as little more than an item at the market? Nevertheless, it pales in comparison to what they promised me if I only trained my sword in accuracy and power." He looked up in the air, raised a clenched fist beside his chest, and muttered loudly to himself, "I _will_ succeed!"

* * *

I hope you liked my first attempt at a story. I promise to get better as I go. None of these characters exist and/or are active in RuneScape to my knowledge. Shorudaretsu might exist somewhere, send me an e-mail if he turns out to be yours.

If anyone would like their character to be in this story, I currently have positions open. I need someone to be 852145632589's earliest friend and some other henchmen for the unknown criminal.

In closing, for those who are wondering, **Shorudaretsu** is literally "cold shoulder" translated into Japanese.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for the reviews, I really appreciate them. If anyone else is reading this, please review. It doesn't have to be long, just let me know that you're reading and critique.

* * *

Trials of a Pure

_Chapter 2: Mission Briefing_

852145632589 lowered his head and sighed. "It's been almost forty minutes," he thought, "where is he?" He was about to get up and walk around when Shorudaretsu, wearing blue robes, a tan mask, and a large leather bag on his back, popped his head out of the door and looked in 852145632589's direction.

"Hey," called Shorudaretsu, "you're that number kid, right?" Hearing this, 852145632589 faced him and gave a quick nod. Shorudaretsu replied with no tone at all, "come with me. This way."

852145632589 promptly got up and followed Shorudaretsu into the castle foyer. The tiles were gray and white in a checkered pattern. Various paintings and suits of armor were lined up against the walls. Light gray stone formed the walls and ceiling and a large gold chandelier hung down from the center of the room. As they passed through a small wooden door on their left, 852145632589 finally uttered his first words to Shorudaretsu. "It took you long enough getting here," he said in a cocky tone, "I was about to go and train by myself."

The hall they entered was less grand. The gray stone from the foyer remained constant but it wasn't nearly as decorated. There was another wooden door on their right, which led into the kitchen. As they were in this hall, Shorudaretsu merely replied without a hint of anger, "I had to make sure that it was safe for us to speak." Confused by this, 852145632589 merely shrugged and followed Shorudaretsu into the kitchen.

The tiles in this room were smaller. Black tiles appeared to be sprinkled into a random pattern, surrounded by bright white tiles. The gray stone that covered the walls was replaced by planks of wood laid out horizontally. In one corner was an expensive-looking oven with various knobs, a pan over the grill, and a pipe leading up along the wall and into the ceiling. In the opposite corner was a man with a tall hat that resembled a white muffin and a white apron and pants to match. He was rapidly opening the various cabinets around him in a panic, muttering something about a cake for the Duke. On the opposite end of the room from where 852145632589 was standing, there was a wooden door that lead to the dining room. All that could be seen through the small amount the door was opened was a dark gray stone fireplace. In the center of the room was a wooden table with a pan on top and a trapdoor next to it. Shorudaretsu promptly opened the trapdoor and motioned for 852145632589 to go down. He wasn't even halfway down before Shorudaretsu followed him in and closed the trapdoor. Once closed, Shorudaretsu closed his eyes and concentrated. The orb of his staff glowed as different colored streaks appeared inside. One streak was a bright yellow, another was brown, and another was red. The trapdoor made a clicking noise as it was locked by the spell.

The cellar that they entered was less than impressive. The gray stone from before returned, but it shown with much less luster than in the foyer. Spiders and rats were everywhere on the solid stone floor and a rotting cabbage was smelt from across the room. The sink was filled halfway with water and what looked like fuzzy grass covered the sides of the tank. Around the sink were a few more cabinets and a table with pots, pans, and knifes atop them. Opposite from the ladder they came down was a hole crudely filled in with tar and various stones. Echoes of various types of movement could be heard from beyond the hole. Shorudaretsu reached the bottom of the ladder and promptly threw his staff into the middle of the room. The staff's bottom swung up to reach the ceiling above it. It attached to the ceiling perpendicular to the ground above a rectangular table. Around the table were a few stools, two on one of the long sides of the table, and one opposite them. The orb of the staff glowed white brightly, illuminating the whole room and scattering the spiders and rats.

Shorudaretsu dropped the bag beside the stool with the side to itself and sat down. "Sit," he said, motioning for 852145632589 to take one of the stools opposite him.

852145632589 agreed without hesitation. "This guy creeps me out," he thought, "I wonder how long he'll keep me in here." He sat down on the stool closest to him and held his hands together on the table in front of him. "So," he said aloud, briefly hesitating, "why all of the privacy?"

"The boss isn't exactly one to scream is plans to the heavens," said Shorudaretsu, "Now, if you'll hold all questions until the end, I'll tell you what you have to do." With a nod, 852145632589 was silent. Shorudaretsu resumed, "I'm sure the units on the Island Academy have told you the general overview. To repeat them, you must only train only your precision and strength. I'm also sure that you've seen the sack on my back. In it are the materials that you will train with. You can go ahead and leave your third-rate Island Academy tools with the rooftop bank when we leave. The contents of the bag are," Shorudaretsu reached into the bag and pulled out the items onto the table as he named them. 852145632589 pulled them over to his side as Shorudaretsu continued, "one helmet, one set of chest armor, one set of leg armor, and a large sword all made from pure Falladorian iron, one bag containing 4284 gold coins, and," Shorudaretsu reached in with both hands as he pulled the last item out of the bag, "this." He pulled out a sword as big as the first wrapped completely in a material that resembled a gray wolf's fur and placed it on the table as he did the others, but stopped 852145632589 when he tried to bring it over to his side. "This sword can be very dangerous if it gets into the wrong hands. It could also have devastating effects on you if you aren't ready for the power it holds. Until then, use the other sword that I gave you." Shorudaretsu finally let 852145632589 take the sword.

Shorudaretsu continued the briefing, "Expect me to drop in on you anytime to give you an objective. All of the orders I give come straight from the boss, so if you disobey me, it'll be the same as disobeying him, and the boss is _not_ someone you want to mess around with." He handed 852145632589 a ring. It was made from a clear material that looked like glass, but it withstood the impact when 852145632589 accidentally dropped the ring on the stone floor. "Pick that up and put it on your finger," said Shorudaretsu with no trace of anger or impatience in his voice. As 852145632589 did so, Shorudaretsu continued, "That ring will flash five times when I'm about to teleport to you and give you a mission, giving you some warning. That's it, any questions?"

852145632589 waited for a few seconds, as if trying to soak everything in, before he asked, "I never caught your name."

"Just call me Bobu-san," replied Shorudaretsu.

852145632589 nodded and said, "OK. Also, one, I've been wondering how you can carry all of this stuff. Two, do you know a good place to train?

Shorudaretsu grabbed his staff from the ceiling and said, "I enchanted the bag. It carries anything I put in while I feel only the weight of the bag." Shorudaretsu paused for a moment and put the pointer finger on his right hand to the area for his mask where the lower lip would be directly above it. Reaching an answer to the second question, he continued, "put on that armor and head to the dirt road behind the castle. There should be plenty of goblins for you to kill. Just don't wander too close to the jail."

"Why!?" Asked 852145632589 in a louder voice, getting up quickly as Shorudaretsu got up to leave.

Shorudaretsu grabbed the bag. He pointed the orb of the staff at the trapdoor and the lock broke in two, falling to the floor below. "stay away because," replied Shorudaretsu. The orb on his staff started showing glowing streaks. One light blue, three white, and one dark blue. "The guards kill on sight." With that, a purple ball of light formed around Shorudaretsu. It continued to shrink until it disappeared, taking him with it.

852145632589 stood in his place for a moment, the phrase "kill on sight" echoing in his head. He snapped out of his trance and put on the armor. His sword was too heavy for him to wield in one hand, so he decided to hold the blade against the plate of armor on his right shoulder as he gripped the hilt with his right hand. He had to shift his balance to keep from tipping over. He strapped the wrapped sword to his back and went to the ladder. As he did, he leaned a bit to the right from the sword's weight. Halfway to the ladder, he noticed some plain boots on the ground. he put them on his feet and ascended the ladder. Once up, the man in white murmured, "Maybe the ingredients are in the cellar..."

852145632589 ascended the spiral staircase in the hall until he reached the roof. There were multiple people of varying statures and dress. Many of them were calling out wares he had never heard of. he made his way to the booth and asked to open an account. The teller, a woman dressed in very light blue and white, brought a chest with his number to the booth. The chest was big enough to hold the wrapped sword, so he took it off his back and put it in. He also stored all of the materials he received upon graduating the Island Academy. He descended the stairs and exited the castle. As he left the courtyard, he thought, "Dirt road behind the castle? I should get going."

He went behind the castle and found the dirt road Shorudaretsu told him about. The road was surrounded by a thick forest on either side. On the right of the road was what appeared to be the ruins of an old stone house. Goblins were moving back and forth between the trees. They were about as tall as a young child, with pale green skin and hunched backs. The armor they wore was colored varieties of orange and red by the end of their short sleeves and pants. A small group of people, all armed, were spread out around the forest, constantly engaging the goblins in combat. "I guess I should join them," thought 852145632589. He charged toward the goblin closest to him, and his training began.

* * *

There it is, Chapter 2, more than twice as long as Chapter 1! I still need people to play various parts, so send me your desired character info. It is_ very_ important that you do this. I probably have until Chapter 3 or 4 before I absolutely need character volunteers, so submit them now!

I go out of town tomorrow and won't be back until Sunday, so don't expect anything to be released soon.

**Bobu-san** is literally Mr. Bob in Japanese


	3. Chapter 3

Trials of a Pure

_Chapter 3: The Sword's True Power_

852145632589 cleanly sliced a goblin in half vertically with his large sword. Behind him, numerous goblin corpses were strewn across the landscape. Giant spiders were gathered around each one, taking whatever meat they could from the fresh dead. The bones of stripped carcases were all that remained after the spiders were through. During his training session, 852145632589 had made it to a small village at the other end of the road. All of the buildings were made of dark gray stone. The familiar shouts of bartering were heard from the southernmost building. Men in gray suits could be seen patrolling the front entrance to the building. Across the street was a two story building and a small field of grass beside it. A woman was peacefully sipping tea on the edge of the field that met the structure. Just past the building was a small marketplace with three carts facing the center of the plaza. Two carts were covered with array of seeds and one had toy horses and plates with dragons painted on.

The sun was beginning to set as 852145632589 walked into the town. He could now see numerous woodsmen chopping off slices of tress with leaves draped over their branches behind the southern building. Past the trees there was a tower offshore to the southern horizon. Two legs in gray pants stuck out from the tree closest to the plaza. Through the open door of the two-story building, he saw an old man in a blue paper hat immersed in studies. The room around the man was cluttered with various books and maps, some of which scattered on the red carpet.

852145632589 walked into the southernmost building. Inside were various booths with tellers dressed in gray like the ones outside. In front of the tellers were wooden booths. People occasionally dropped off logs in the cylinder on the far side. 852145632589 walked up to the booth closest to him and asked to open his account. A familiar chest was brought to the booth. He opened it and everything he left inside was exactly how he left it. Inside he stored the spoils of his training, 167 gold coins, some stones with white markings on them, and a small strange sculpture with the same marking on it. After he was finished, he looked inside the chest at the wrapped sword. "I've been training for hours on end," he thought, "I should definitely be ready for whatever 'devastating effects' Bobu-san warned me of."

852145632589 drew the sword from the chest and unwrapped the fur. The large square of fur removed from the sword was placed in the chest along with his other sword. The sword he drew was a brighter shade of gray than his other one. The hilt was mildly decorated with small amounts of gold. He closed the chest and the teller put it back from where it was taken. 852145632589 propped the sword against his shoulder, and walked out of the bank.

The moon was out when 852145632589 left, but the sword seemed to glow a small amount. He walked in the direction he came from, hoping to seek refuge in the distant castle, not paying attention to where he walked in the darkness. The area around him was more heavily wooded than the road. He heard voices coming from the right, and immediately readied his sword. A lantern was lit close by, and he could see a sign next to a wooden door that read "JAIL" in large letters. He didn't have time to react before large, muscular figures carrying maces surrounded him. "You lost, kid?" inquired one of the figures in a thug-like voice.

"Who cares?" Replied another in an enraged tone, "I say we kill first, ask questions later."

Before he knew it, 852145632589 was forced to fend off his assailants. He swung repeatedly at them, only to have them cast his blows aside with their maces. "This is too easy," jeered one of the figures, "I almost feel sorry for him."

852145632589, heavily exhausted, dropped down to one knee, at the mercy of the falling maces. He was about to be wiped out when his sword's glow intensified. He unconsciously spun around, letting the weight of the sword extend his arms outward. The figures maces broke open when they tried to block the spinning strike. In a panic, they stepped away from the swirling guillotine. The spinning became faster and faster, until a tornado touched down where 852145632589 spun, his speed matching the tornado's. Everything in the area was blown away. The figures were blown back into the newly splintered trees, each being impaled in the chest or neck. The prison collapsed on itself and bricks were caught in the tornado and flung in various directions. A woman's scream came from the doomed structure.

The tornado receded as the spinning stopped. A small fire appeared where the ruins of the prison were. A figure in a stained brown cape came out from the rubble, and ran off towards the castle. The light of multiple lanterns appeared to come out from underground in the distance. 852145632589 knew that he had to get away, but he was in very bad condition. Blood was leaking out of his skull and his right arm was in severe pain. He could barely stand up, but he managed to move slowly towards the distant castle. Before long, his vision became dark and hazy, and the pain from his wounds forced him to fall face first in the dirt. The last thing he saw before losing consciousness was a pair of bright pink boots running towards him.

* * *

Short chapter? I didn't notice. Don't worry, I have plenty of ideas for chapter 4. You can be sure that it'll be longer.

This is your _last_ chance for character applications. I won't be accepting any more after Monday, so submit now!


	4. Chapter 4

Sorry about the long wait, everyone (I hate final exams). Well, it's up now, and fairly long. I don't need any characters at the moment, maybe later.

* * *

Trials of a Pure

_Chapter 4: New Friends, New Challenges_

When 852145632589 came to, he was lying face-up in a small bed. His clothes and armor were replaced by a set of loose-fitting pink robes. Trying to sit up, he realized that his right arm was in a thick cast and his head was wrapped in bandages. He looked around sitting cross-legged on the bed. He was in a small, well lit cave. The walls of the cave had wooden torch holsters every 5 feet. A small wooden door was fitted in a hole in the wall fifteen feet away from his bed, surrounded by a metal fence. Immediately to his right was a small table. On the table was his sack of cash and clear ring. In front of the table, his armor appeared to be sitting in a lump with his sword right next to it. His helmet was full of small dents from the force of the maces, while his chest and leg armor were dented to a lesser extent. In front of him, three men in pink robes with long hoods that extended over their faces were seated around a fire playing a game of cards. 852145632589 made no noise as he slipped the clear ring onto his left ring finger. The ring immediately shone brightly and vibrated. Seconds later, a thin rectangular glow appeared over his hand, attracting the attention of the men.

A familiar voice sprung from the glow, "put your hand to your head!"

Doing so, placing the glow against his ear and cheek, 852145632589 responded, "hello?"

"I have to say, that was quite a show you put on back there," said Shorudaretsu through the glow with a hint of sarcasm in his voice, "I guess the boss was right to give you that sword so early." Ignoring 852145632589's audible sigh, he continued, "all joking aside, you need some more training so you don't need to do _that_ every time you get into a fight. The boss arranged for someone to teach you. He also says to get the hell out of that cavern."

"Why?" asked a confused 852145632589, "I don't see anything wrong."

Shorudaretsu only replied, "the boss has things against HAM, the organization that resides in that cave."

852145632589 asked, "why does he hate HAM? Is he Jewish?" His question was immediately followed by the laughter of the men in the room. One man poked his head out of the door and made a gesture outside.

Shorudaretsu ignored the joke and replied, "let's just say he is on bad terms with them. I'll meet you outside to heal your wounds. Get out of there as soon as possible, and leave your armor behind." With that being said, the glow vanished.

Following this, 852145632589 positioned himself so he was sitting on the side of the bed. As he was slipping on his boots, the door opened and a slender female figure in a set of pink robes came in. Her white hair cascaded onto her upper back. Her blue eyes shone softly with a friendly gaze. "Thank goodness you're awake," she said in a voice that could soothe a raging dragon. 852145632589 could only nod as she helped him to his feet. "I was so worried that you weren't going to make it when I found you. It's a good thing you were so close," she said.

"Thanks," said 852145632589, "my name's 852145632589." In response to her confused expression, he added, "I know, it's ridiculous. I don't know why it was given to me, or what my real name is. all I know is that number." reaching for his sword with his free hand, he inquired, "what's your name?"

"My name is Salchimel," she said, "but my friends usually call me 'Sal.' Could I call you 8?"

"Sure," replied 852145632589 as they both headed for the door, "I'll have to go soon, would you mind escorting me back to Lumbridge?"

"No problem," said Salchimel as they got to the door.

The room they entered was many times larger than the room they were in. In the center, rows of seats were filled with people in pink robes facing a stage. On the stage, a man in dark crimson robes and no hood rallied his audience for the cause of eliminating monsters. On either side of him were large pink banners that spelled "HAM" vertically in green and lighter pink. Behind the stage was large lettering in black tar reading "We shall prevail." Half a dozen goblins hung below the message, bricks embedded in various parts of their bodies. 852145632589 recognized the last three letters of "prevail" from the jail sign, the "J" torn off from the rest of the sign. Various tunnels branched off from the center cavern, more people in pink strolling in and out. Before the duo took five steps into the room, everything silenced and all eyes were on 852145632589. He felt a whooshing sensation in his head as he was given a standing ovation and pulled to the stage. The man previously rallying behind the podium stepped aside and motioned for 852145632589 to speak. The crowd began to chant "speech" repeatedly. After a few seconds of hesitation, 852145632589 proclaimed,quoting the wall behind him,"we shall prevail!"

Immediately following his words was another standing ovation. 852145632589 took this opportunity to move quickly off the stage and met with Salchimel, continuing to the exit ladder.

As they emerged from the trapdoor at the top of the ladder, they found themselves on a hill surrounded by piles of brick. Shorudaretsu was sitting on one of the piles, getting up when 852145632589 emerged. His gaze fixed on Salchimel as she followed. He moved toward her and held out his left fist. Salchimel held out hers and their hands moved quickly in an infallible way. After a second of this, they both removed their hands. "Nice to meet an ally out here," said Shorudaretsu, "how are things in the clan?"

Salchimel started removing her robes, revealing scaly red armor. "Well, the pigs are forming a branch in our underground," she said, tossing the robes onto the ground beside her. Reaching into a pocket of the armor, she took out a small, coiled scroll, and continued, "good thing I got the plans for their new cavern. All we have to do now is wait for the right moment." Turning to 852145632589, she added, "I'll leave you with him, you're in good hands." She ran off into the woods north of them, vanishing within seconds.

852145632589 looked from where Salchimel went to Shorudaretsu and back again before his shock forced him to ask, "what just happened here?"

Shorudaretsu only looked at him and replied, "What's wrong with a couple allies chewing the fat?"

"No, not that," said 852145632589 as he shook his head, "what was that talk? Things at the clan? Allies? _Pigs?_"

"In that order," started Shorudaretsu, taking a breath, "The two of us are from allied organizations. She belongs to a clan known as the Terada clan, whom we are allied with, as I already stated. 'Pigs' is a term we use to describe the pink nutjobs in that cave. Any other questions will be taken by your new teacher, Kurisu-san." He pointed to a figure by the trees not far from where they were standing. Shorudaretsu placed his hand on 852145632589's shoulder, a green light projecting from it, and threw a new set of gray armor at 852145632589 as he said, "get that pigskin off of you."

Kurisu-san walked out from the shade of the trees towards the two others. He was wearing black robes with a hood that covered most of his face. Around his neck he wore a white amulet with something glinting in the center of it. On his back was a large, deep crimson sword that seemed to have small parts of the edges taken out of it. Under his robes appeared to be a set of metal armor. He nodded an introduction, then said, "now the real training begins."

Shorudaretsu put his hand on 852145632589's shoulder, chuckled, and said, "good luck." Removing his hand, the orb on his staff showed a few streaks of light, then he vanished.

Kurisu-san drew his sword and put himself in a stance. "Are you ready?" He asked. 852145632589, having put his armor on, did the same with his sword and nodded. "All right," said Kurisu-san, "let's begin." With these words, they both advanced on each other, swords at the ready.

* * *

Well, there it is. Again, sorry about the long wait. I won't be able to write for two weeks because I'm going to camp, but that should give me time to think for the next chapter.

If I didn't include your character in this chapter, you can bet that they will appear soon.


	5. Chapter 5

About time I posted a new chapter, eh? I'm sorry, I've just been... I can't say busy... I've been lazy. I would have been less lazy if more people reviewed. So now you know, review or I don't write.

Before I forget again, Kurisu-san is literally Mr. Chris translated into Japanese.

* * *

Trials of a Pure

_Chapter 5: Encounter_

852145632589 slumped against a tree and let gravity slowly pull him down to the ground. At first glance, it appeared that the armor was empty. He and Kurisu-san had been sparring for hours. Kurisu-san was wiping off his sword a short distance away, There was a layer of iron left on the broad sides of the sword. They hadn't moved far from where they met. The ruined house was a few yards away, the discarded pink garments contrasting the ground around them. noticing this, Kurisu-San looked up, shook his head, and started walking over to the structure. As he did so, he spoke. "I can't believe he didn't wait for two seconds to burn those things," he said, drawing 852145632589's attention, "the guy's getting soft, I swear."

As he neared the site of the house, Kurisu-san drew a small, light gray box from his robes. Lumping the pink robes into a pile, he withdrew a match from the box and lit it, tossing the small flame into the pile. Before long, the flame spread, engulfing the outfits. 852145632589 walked over to the fire and found a seat across from Kurisu-san, who was already sitting, prodding the pile with a stick to make sure it all burned. "Remember what we learned?' Asked Kurisu-san.

As if reading from a dull book, 852145632589 took off his helmet and answered, "If one wishes to defend, one should not stand braced for the attack. One should simply attack the immediate offense. This provides protection while applying damage to one's enemies. Thus, it is not considered defending."

Kurisu-san gave a brief nod and turned his attention to a falcon flying towards them, paper in claw. He held out his arm for the bird, and the bird perched itself on it, dropping the paper. Kurisu-san gave the bird a piece of meat and a small pouch, and the bird took to the air, leaving them. Kurisu-san took the paper from the ground and read it silently to himself before handing it to 852145632589. He took the paper and read:

**The Varrock Herald**

Volume I Edition III

New clothing sparks interest in Misthalin, Asgarnia.

Adventurers on street will be looking a lot different from this point on. The cause? Recently, an anonymous designer released new clothing designs and hair styles to the public, providing variety to wardrobes across...

------------------------------------------

The article went on for a while, but 852145632589 got the point. "Sounds like an excellent excuse for a trip," he said.

Kurisu-san nodded and replied, "I agree; a change of scenery wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. The only problem lies in how to get there." He pulled out another piece of paper and studied it, moving his finger over possible routes, clearly thinking about what the shortest route would be and how dangerous each route was. He eventually found a route that was not very dangerous and reasonably short. moving his finger along the route and letting the map face 852145632589, he spelled out the route, "From here we head East back to Lumbridge and cross the River Lum. Shortly after we pass through we'll arrive at the gate of Al Kharid. From there we head North toward Varrock, entering the city at the East gate. After we stop there, It'll be a straight shot West to Falador. Any questions?"

"Why don't we just head through the farms to the south gate?" asked 852145632589.

"Good question," replied Kurisu-san, "That route is dangerous. We can't go in the South entrance because there is a group of dark wizards positioned close by. Also, we can't go through the farms because there are sure to be HAM members throughout the area. If that's your only question, we can go."

They both got up and grabbed their swords, slinging them to their backs. As they walked west, the remaining pile of ashes started drifting off with the breeze.

They passed through Lumbridge without stopping for anything and continued toward the gate. There they let through for a price of 20 coins. They turned North and walked along the edge of a scorpion filled pit. 852145632589 was very interested in the people mining long the sides of the pit, and how they didn't draw attention from the scorpions around them. As he was gazing down, a loose rock fell from under his foot. Losing his balance, he fell head first into the pit, immediately drawing the attention of the scorpions. As he drew his sword, the scorpions surrounded him. "There are too many, I don't think I'll be able to fight them off," he thought.

He and Kurisu-san could only watch what happened next. Suddenly a blur began cutting through the scorpions, the two iron swords perfectly found the gaps in the insects' armor. Before long all of the scorpions were spraying blood into the air and lay limp. The man responsible for this had short, silver-white hair, wearing a black shirt and iron leg armor. The man put his swords away at the sides of his belt before saying, "There's a rock face you can climb out. It's over there, so I suggest you use it quickly, before more scorpions emerge." As 852145632589 took his advice, he turned to Kurisu-san, "Have I seen you before?"

Kurisu-san realized who he was and promptly answered, "no, I don't think we've ever met. I'll be off now." He ran off to meet 852145632589 at the top of the rock face. As they both continued on their way, he said to 852145632589, "I think it's time you learned the truth. I'll tell you all you need to know once we reach Varrock."

* * *

So how was it? Good? Bad? Short? Review and say so! If you don't, this story will _not_ be updated. You have been warned. 


	6. Once in a Blue Moon Inn

One review? Ehh, good enough. Here's Chapter Six! In case you haven't already noticed, I will now be using the actual chapter names as the listed names. I digress, read on!

* * *

Trials of a Pure

_Chapter 6: Once in a Blue Moon Inn_

Within another hour of walking after the incident at the mine, the duo reached the outer walls of Varrock. The limestone walls of the city rose 15 feet high. the break in the wall made way for the gravel path to extend west into the town square, seen in the distance. Guards in pale yellow garments stood watch at the entrance, conversing with the occasional wheelbarrow-hauling workman as he walked by. As the duo made their way into the city, they noticed the familiar sight of people walking in and out of a raised building made of similar limestone, with a short, column-supported canopy in the front. The building was assumed to be a bank by 852145632589. Opposite of the bank, a smaller, less-grand building with a straw roof and a closed wooden door. Shortly after those buildings, the path branched off to the north and south. On the north side after the junction, there was a park with a central fountain with benches facing it. Shortly after that, an open building with multiple anvils inside. A man in a brown apron was also seen speaking with an unseen person. Opposite the park was a wooden building with many bows and arrows on display in the front window.

The duo reached the town square, and Kurisu-san immediately pointed out the irregularly-shaped, two-story wooden building across from the fountain. The fountain was circular in shape, but had two bridges running across that intersected at a 90 degree angle. At each corner of the fountain's intersection, statues of the great heroes of the past were standing on pedestals. On the north side of the square, the castle rose over all of the other buildings in the city.

Upon entering the store, they found various articles of clothing and measuring tools displayed along the walls. They were greeted by a blonde woman in a pink blouse and a green skirt. After a few mild introductions, the duo picked a few sets of clothes from a wide selection of styles and colors.

Clothes in tow, they turned onto the main southern road. Shortly after they did so, 852145632589 immediately saw a sign that had a blue crescent moon surrounded by a circular hole in the banner. Under the image, the words "Blue Moon Inn" were hung on a slab of wood under the banner. "It's getting late," said Kurisu-san, alluding to the setting sun, "we should probably stay here for the night." He then motioned toward the inn.

Upon entry, 852145632589 saw a bar behind several circular tables, blue-topped stools surrounding them, all on a blue and black rug that covered the whole bar area. Kurisu-san walked up to the bar area and after paying the bartender, returned with two keys and tossed one to 852145632589. He looked at the number on the key, and, recognizing what room he was boarding in, he followed Kurisu-san upstairs. They both went into their own separate rooms. After getting himself situated, 852145632589 changed into a pale yellow sweater and gray slacks, leaving his armor in the room.

As 852145632589 exited and locked his room, he noticed that Kurisu-san was already waiting for him. He was still wearing his robes, but they weren't concealing any armor. They both went downstairs to the bar. There, they sat down at the corner table, ordering drinks and something for dinner. "While we wait, I think you should have these," said Kurisu-san as he slid two sheathed daggers toward 852145632589. When he unsheathed them to take a look, he noticed that they were made of the same strange, slightly glowing steel his sword was made from. Kurisu-san continued, "sometimes you need to be quick about defending yourself. Those are the best for the job. Aside from that, it's time you knew the situation. As you may know, we tend to be very secretive about our organization. However, that doesn't mean we are without enemies. There are other underground organizations all working toward one goal: absolute control. That is to say, all except for one, The 42nd Order. Coincidentally, they are our biggest threat. Their purpose is to rid the world of all organizations that disrupt the balance of the world. So far they've done a good job. It's just us, a few of our allies, and them.

"That man who saved you in the mine could have been one of them, but our intelligence hasn't able to ind out for sure. Their research is leaning toward the conclusion that he is an independent mercenary. I think that's all you need to know, Here's our food." They continued their meal in silence. After they finished, they both payed for the meal, splitting the bill. 852145632589 went upstairs, taking his new daggers with him, while Kurisu-san finished the last of his beer. 852145632589 opened the door to his room and locked it behind him.

Still trying to absorb everything he heard, he put his daggers on the bedside table and changed into his nightwear. Exhausted, he heard Kurisu-san walk to his room as he lay down in bed, drifting off to sleep.

* * *

There it is, now review! Tell me _exactly_ how good/bad it was! Chapter 7 will be up soon (very soon...). 

School started a couple weeks ago, so don't expect chapters to be up so often (except for the previously mentioned).

Remember, Chapter 7 may be written, but it won't be posted unless I get reviews! (anonymous reviews have been turned on)


	7. A Nocturnal Adventure

Well, I'm still alive. Here's a new chapter (finally)!

* * *

Trials of a Pure

_Chapter 7: A Nocturnal Adventure_

852145632589 awoke to the sound of chanting. It was almost midnight, and the area outside his window was illuminated by the full moon. Naturally, being woken up in the middle of the night annoyed him very much. With a heavy sigh, he tossed aside his sheets, pulled on some jeans and a warm-looking gray sweater, and grabbed his new daggers and a key to the room. He quietly put on some leather boots and slid out of the room, locking the door behind him. The bar was empty when he entered, save for a couple drunks that passed out earlier, so he just passed through and out the front door.

The chanting was coming form the south, so 852145632589 headed down the road until he came to the southern gate. Just to the left of the path was a circle of stone arches, filled with hooded figures in dark robes that covered the top half of their faces. He remembered Kurisu telling him something about how he should stay away from it, but now he wasn't worried about it. He was much more focused on stopping the ritual so he could get some sleep. Aside from that, they didn't look as tough as the jail guards.

The plan was decided 3 seconds after reaching the gate; get a disguise, get into the circle, and kill the lead cultist. He walked up silently to one of the weaker-looking guys on the outside of the circle. With great stealth, he violently pulled him away, holding his mouth and putting him into a half-nelson grip. He then got hold of his dagger and jerked his hlding arm in such a way as the blade came right across his victim's throat. Blood gushed through the newly formed cavity as 852145632589 gently lowered his body down to the earth. Quietly and quickly, he took the robe off of the carcass and put it on his own body. He then proceeded to head for the center of the circle.

Too concerned with what he has doing, 852145632589 didn't notice that the moon was slowly turning redder as it hovered overhead. He simply approached the leader in the center of the circle from behind, drew a dagger, and stabbed, twisting the blade before it exited. Blood flowed out of the wound and down his victim's robe has he hit the ground. At the exact moment the body struck the soil, the moon immediately regained its original color. Little did he know it, but 852145632589 prevented he summoning of the demon that would destroy Varrock.

This did not go well with the others in the circle. Just as he had begun to exit the stone formation, 852145632589 found himself under attack by multiple magically propelled stones no bigger than ping-pong balls. After a few hits, he proceeded to a run, audibly complaining about the annoying pain he was experiencing at intervals. The stones didn't stop hitting him until he reached the town square. Stopping there, he decided that going back to Inn was not a good idea for the moment. He noticed that the shop with the arches for walls had a few lanterns still lit and people were heading inside. The people seemed to be wearing the same type of robes as the cultists, but the robes were a slightly lighter shade of gray. He decided to go in and see what was up.

He followed the other people down a flight of stairs, descending into an oddly clean, large, well-lit stone room. There were all sorts of shops lining one wall, although the only thing that differed between any of them was what was etched into the wall above each entrance. Around some of the shops were circular table where more people in robes sat, ate, and socialized with their hoods down. On another wall there were multiple levels of doors leading apparently to dorm rooms in a way similar to a multi-level motel. In the center of it all was a huge statue of a someone on a pedestal. It wasn't clear wether the figure was a man or a woman. It carried a scale in one of its hands and a small scepter with a a drill-like shape at the top end.

As he passed by one of the shops, he noticed that the was a bit of a line inside. There, one of the stones the size of one's fist started to make noise and blink. The carrier of the stone looked at it and then around. This prompted the person next to him to say in a light tone, "I'm not sure that activating that thing now will do you any good."

"You're probably right," replied the stone's carrier. With a motion of his hand over the stone, the blinking stopped.

852145632589 continued across the room and decided to enter the store marked "Innovative Utilities and Such." Inside, he gazed around at the different types of metallic weapons, armor, and what-have-you. There were simple components to what seemed like larger mechanisms, the whole mechanisms, and different types of weapons and armor of all metallic variety. Behind the desk was a man with medium-short brown hair, brown eyes, and a light, slightly tanned complexion looking over what appeared to be an overlay of the establishment with stones placed on it on the wall next to him. The overlay was about as wide as his arm-span and just as tall. The interesting thing about it was that some of the stones were moving around the area. The man, who couldn't have been much older than 852145632589, wore a a slightly more decorated robe than the other people inside. A lighter colored lab coat hung on the back wall of the store. When 852145632589 got within ten feet of the man, the man turned to greet him, "Hey, I'm Kangaekata. Welcome to the Bravo 1-7 Innovative Utilities and Such. I haven't seen you around before, what branch are you from?" His eyes seemed to be paying attention and contemplating deeper thoughts at the same time as he spoke.

852145632589, having no idea what Kangaekata was talking about, decided to bluff, "Charlie 9-6. People there call me 8."

Apparently he guessed correctly, because Kangaekata took no further interest in his branch of origin. Instead Kangaekata grinned slightly and said, "OK 8, what can I interest you in?" glancing at 852145632589's daggers, he added, "would you be interested in an upgrade for your daggers? Or maybe some bladed armor?"

852145632589 stood wide-eyed, amazed at the possibility of what Kangaekata just said. "What kind of upgrade?"

"Well," said Kangaekata, "let me show you." He reached behind the desk and pulled out a chain made of what looked like the same substance as the hilt of 852145632589's daggers. After that, he pushed a button on the desk and a suit of gray armor with lighter gray blades that looked like finns moved on a hangar over to Kangaekata's side. He picked up the chain and after a second it turned to a solid staff-lentgh rod and loosened into a chain in the center before turning into a chain again. "In that order: double-sided whip and bladed nun-chuck, providing the daggers are attached. Next to me you see a set of iron armor with steel blades on the top of the arms and the front of the legs along with iron gloves with blades running down each finger to the wrist, thumb excluded, of course. If you choose to take it, that'll be one thousand coins."

852145632589 laid his sheathed daggers on the desk and pulled out the necessary amount of money. Kangaekata took out some kind of tool and connected the daggers to each end of the chain. He then put a fairly large pouch on the table and moved his thumb over a part of it. As he did, there was a glow from inside. He effortlessly put in the whole set of armor and the new weapon in the bag, sealing it afterwards.852145632589 stood amazed and said, "how did you fit all of that into something that couldn't even fit the helmet?"

"Whenever you can't explain something, just say 'magic did it.' It works for me." The clear ring on Kangaekata's hand started blinking rapidly and he brought the newly-formed rectangle of light up to his ear. Half a moment later, 852145632589's ring did the same thing.

"Were are you?" Asked Shorudaretsu's familiar voice. "Forget it, just meet Kurisu and I at the south exit of Varrock. We need to get you out of here." Before 852145632589 could respond, the rectangle was gone.

"I'd love to stay and chat," said 852145632589, "but I need to get back to my branch. It's urgent."

"It's better that you do," replied Kangaekata, "they could begin Operation Arkleseizure any minute." At that moment, he hit a button on the display and it zoomed out to encompass the entire region.

As he left the underground, 852145632589 heard an amplified version of Kangaekata's voice, "begin final preparation, Arkleseizure is a go."

* * *

OK, a bit longer than the others, but that's what happens for those who are patient. Please review to tell me what I did well/messed up, and be honest. I wouldn't mind a negative review (as long as you don't flame). Just be constructive in your criticisms.

Kangaekata - way of thinking (I'll give you one guess as to what language it's in)


	8. Turn the Tables

Well, next chapter (finally). I'll make it up to you, though. It's over 2000 words, so 2 chapters for the price of one

Apologies to MustardGal. I've been pending DocX for a month and I figured that you must be pretty busy, so I beta-read the chapter myself.

Quick BTW: any "()" that you see in the chapter are **not authors notes, but actual dialog**.

* * *

Trials of a Pure

_Chapter 8: Turn the Tables_

852145632589 made his way to the Southern exit of the city. It wasn't quite as he remembered. It wasn't as... red. Blood lay strewn about everywhere, with little scraps of black cloth and metal to add a bit more variety. Kneeling just outside the gate was a massive black dragon, piloted by none other than Bobu-san. Kurisu-san was sitting behind him, and all of their stuff was also on board. Obviously the dragon had made a meal of the cultists and whatever soldiers were unlucky enough to try to intervene.

"I see that you've been painting the town red," said 852145632589, gazing upon the surroundings.

"Quit the jokes and get on," said Bobu-san.

As he said this, the dragon prepared to deal a devastating blow on what it thought was another tasty morsel. Before it could do this, Bobu-san kicked it between the neck and shoulder blade, causing it to back down. The dragon instead sniffed 852145632589, learning to recognize him as a friend. 852145632589 got on the dragon behind Kurisu-san, and they took off.

"I bet you're wondering why we're way up here," said Kurisu-san. "I'll tell you: The 42nd Order is after you. our intelligence reports that every member of every one of the installations across Runescape is equipped with a device that can detect your weaponry." Changing focuses, he addressed Bobu-san, "You told our spies to keep the devices _off_, right?" He received a nod from Bobu-san and continued his explanation, "They plan to send all of their forces out in a circle, growing in size until they find you, comparable to a sneeze. There's no doubt that's why they call it Operation Arkleseizure."

852145632589 froze. That piece of information put the events of the night into focus. "_It's better that you do._" Kangaekata must have meant that 852145632589 needed to participate in the operation at his branch, had he been part of the Order. _The display on the wall_; that must have been to monitor if they had found him. "_Arkleseizure is a go._" Arkleseizure, that was the name of the operation...

He had put the pieces together; 852145632589 must have infiltrated The 42nd Order without even noticing. His mind was whirling at the possibility. Regaining his focus, he inquired, "So how exactly is having me up here helping?"

Kurisu responded, "we're not going to be up here for long. We're headed for the Draynor manor underground. Don't ask me how, but something in the soil jams whatever surveillance equipment they (or anyone for that matter) use."

"I think a friend of yours hangs around there," chimed Bobu-san. "Sal, was it?"

After a moment, 852145632589 replied, "so you mean to tell me that we're going to hang out around the Terada underground until the heat gets turned down, and they'll let us stay _just_ because we're allies?"

"They kinda owe us," said Kurisu.

"Besides, it's not like they _hate_ us or anything," added Bobu-san with a chuckle.

Back under Varrock, Kangaekata watched a small magic screen focused on 852145632589 and the others. "They will soon," he said to himself.

All of the lights were out in his store except the one by his desk. The door was closed, and no light was making its way through the bottom crack. Apparently, everyone in the branch had already left. A small light flashed next to his screen for a moment, shortly followed by more screens appearing in a semicircle behind him. He turned to greet them. Cloaked heads of various authority figures were on the screens, appearing to be equal in rank with Kangaekata. "Fellow branch leaders," he said, "how may I help you?"

"Needless to say," said one of the figures, "we were shocked when the elders accepted _that_ proposal."

"It's madness!" Cried another, "utter madness!"

"You guys don't trust anything I do," said Kangaekata with a smirk. "I am sure that this new development will work. It did before."

"That isn't the point," scoffed another. "The point is, you shouldn't be playing Guthix with this _toy_ of yours. Reverse temporal engineering is _not_ smiled upon."

"The last thing we need is a power trip!" shouted the second.

"Besides," said the first, "I think that making someone get a particular meal and getting '8' to change sides are quite different."

"And yet," said Kangaekata, shrugging, "they are the same. We don't have to make him decide to change on his own. All we have to do is fix little events so the end result is in our favor."

"And how do you propose to do that?" asked the third.

"Trade secret," said Kangaekata. "You guys will find out soon enough, but I'll give you a hint. It involves _that_."

They all seemed to fall away from their respective screens. In shocked voices, they all said, "You can't be serious!"

"You know that _he's_ been after _that_ for a few years!" yelled the second.

"Or was he?" inquired the third.

"That isn't possible," said the first, "Kangaekata only discovered that spell last week."

"But we all know that it is capable of changing the events of any point in time," said the third. "People can be made to choose or do different things, and a positive outcome for whomever gave the command ensues."

"I can assure you," said Kangaekata, "that I haven't gone _that_ far back. This spell is only worth simple changes in the recent time frame. Going too far backward in time expends one's energy. I may be interested in results, but I'm not an idiot.

"Aside from that, changing _his_ goals would be impossible (not to mention stupid). We are interested in bringing '8' to our side because _he_ has him. _He_ has him because _he_ wants _that_. _He_ wants _that_ for obvious reasons. In other words, Only with our _current_ situation would we need to use reverse temporal engineering to bring 8 to our side. Otherwise, we wouldn't."

"You're right," admitted the first. "It would have been impossible."

"However," said the second, "8 is with _him_ **now**. He went into your branch. You're as good as dead!"

"Not exactly," replied Kangaekata. "This, where I'm standing now, is a replica of my branch (and a damn good one at that). I know he's going to come back eventually, so I'll set up a little 'welcoming commitee.' And..." he gestured to the screen next to him of the region. On it were the small stones. Most of them were lit up, but some were not.

"I see," said the second, "it will be a slaughter on top of a slaughter. It was good of you to include tracers on the stones."

"I agree," said the third, "the spies have to take them, but they didn't know that they _had_ to turn them on in order to avoid detection. I already marked all of the moles in my branch. I will be rid of them when they return, as will all of you, I hope."

They all nodded in agreement with his statement. "You guys remember the procedure, right?" Inquired Kangaekata.

"Of course we do," said the second, "you don't need to remind us."

"Then it's settled," said Kangaekata, "good night, gentlemen."

The screens dimmed into nothing as Kangaekata turned his attention back to the map of the region. He began to mark the stones that were unlit.

Meanwhile, Bobu-san, Kurisu-san, and 852145632589 were arriving at Draynor Manor. When they dismounted and grabbed their stuff, Bobu-san raised his staff. The dragon then disappeared into thin air. They made their way through the dilapidated mansion until they came across a lever on the wall of the study. Kurisu-san pulled it and the wall opened, leading to a small bedroom. He then continued to move something on the table. As he did so, the table slid to one side. The three got on the space where the table was and it carried them down. Inside was a large underground space carved from the soil and lined with stone. There were hallways leading out from the central point. Some were gated, some weren't. All of the attention from the Terada clan seemed to be directed on one crude tunnel, where several members in varying attire were pushing Pink-robed HAMs out. There were annoyed shouts for someone to collapse the cave. Some vials of orange liquid were already lined at intervals along the ceiling where the commotion was taking place. They extended well behind where the HAMs were trying to get in.

"You guys get out of the way!" Shouted the familiar voice of Salchimel on the other side of the subterranean forum. "I'm going to see if this works."

She was wearing scaly blue armor, with a light blue claymore on her back. She held in one hand some bolts with white tips. In the other hand, she held a crossbow with a dark body, light blue arms, and a scope on top. She fitted a bolt into the crossbow and looked through the scope, taking aim at the first vial. All of the clan members who were there before left as she was aiming. When they were all clear, she released the bolt, and it hit the first vial. It exploded into a ball of flame. The other vials, struck by the blast, followed suit. Before long, the tunnel was collapsed. Soon everyone around went back to their business, now that the disturbance was over. 852145632589 and the others made their way to Salchimel. She was admiring how accurate the crossbow was when they came over. She looked up and greeted them with a friendly, "hey! It's nice to see you guys. What brings you here, 8?"

He answered in a mock-serious tone, "apparently, the 42nd is after me, so we need to lay low here for a bit."

She smirked and said, "interesting. Well, I'll see if our leaders will let you stay for a while. Follow me."

She lead them through the tunnel straight across from the entrance. It was more decorated with drapery and torches than the other hallways they saw. Out of a thickstone door, a man in recently torn clothing emerged breathless. He saw Salchimel and barely audibly said, "the death worm is restless. You think that you could calm it down?"

Bobu-san and Kurisu-san looked at each other in confused expressions. 852145632589 looked at the man in the same way. "All right," said Salchimel, "I guess I have to, come on, guys."

"While personally I don't want to be in the same room with something that has the word 'death' in the name," whispered Kurisu-san to Bobu-san, "I think we should at least check it out. It may prove beneficial to do so."

Bobu-san nodded in agreement. They proceed with caution into the room with the death worm. It was a massive red beast, no smaller than a house with huge, razor-sharp teeth at the very front. It was trapped in a cage no smaller than a Varrock city block. Salchimel's three guests stood stunned while she calmed the worm. When they left the room and headed toward the leaders, Kurisu-san whispered to Bobu-san, "I don't think the boss will need any background information on that thing past what we saw. I told you it would be worth it to have a look."

Bobu-san only nodded in agreement. At the end of the hallway, they came to a gilded door. Salchimel opened the way and the group entered the leaders' chambers. Inside was a round wooden table, where five aging men sat in heated discussion. One looked up from the table and shouted a greeting at the group, "Bobu-san, what brings you down here?"

"You know, the usual," replied Bobu-san, "killed off a small cult, 42nd Order after our hides. Normal stuff. How've you been, Sam?"

Sam heartily embraced Bobu-san for a moment and replied with a warm spirit, "Never better! How's that crazy fool you work for? Still after that relic?"

"Yeah, it's kind of unfortunate," replied Bobu-san sarcastically, "but I'm not too upset."

While they were talking, the other four at the table we clearly displeased at who showed up and what Sam was doing. they cradled their heads in one of their arms with their elbows on the table. "It's like he said, they work for a crazy fool. Sam's the only reason why we let them in here," said one.

"The 42nd will stop them at every turn, it's useless," said another.

"Why do we let them in here, again?" asked the third.

"We owe them for what happened last year," said the fourth one, "we would have been done for otherwise."

"I suppose we could let them stay," said the first as he gave a thumbs-up to Salchimel. "But they're out of here as soon as their conflict blows over."

"And if they try to get us involved," said the second, "we can say we're too busy with the pigs."

"Right," the rest said in unison.

"Come on, guys," said Salchimel, grabbing some keys from the wall, "I'll show you to your rooms."

They went through various hallways and down some stairs before they reached their rooms. When they got there, Bobu-san promptly tossed 852145632589's stuff at him and said, "here's your stuff. It's late. I'm tired. Good night."

As they went into their respective rooms, Salchimel said, "wake up call is at seven, guys."

852145632589 recognized this comment by sticking his free thumb into the air. He then proceeded to close the door behind him. He set his stuff to one side and flung himself into the surprisingly comfortable bed.

* * *

There it is! Please review!


End file.
